Neither debtors nor employees of the IESS or party affiliates: know who cannot apply to be members of the Board of Directors of that institution

Be in enjoyment of political rights; have a third level degree registered with the Secretary of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (Senescyt); having exercised with notorious honesty the profession or university teaching or some position of managerial responsibility in private or public activities, and accrediting experience in the performance of them for a period of not less than ten years; and have at least 60 monthly deposits, of which at least 6 must be immediately prior to the registration of their candidacies, except those who have the condition of being retired. These are the four basic requirements that those who wish to apply to be members of the Board of Directors of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) must meet, according to the regulations approved on November 30 by the plenary session of the National Electoral Council (CNE).

The Reform Law of the Social Security Law, in force since last month, established that the Board of Directors of the IESS “will be integrated in a tripartite and equal manner, between men and women, by a representative of the insured, a representative of the employers and one of the Executive Function”. And that it is up to the CNE to be in charge of the process of convocation, election and appointment.

The representatives of the insured and of the employers will be elected (in a binomial of principal and substitute) through equal, periodic, direct, secret voting, adapted to the reality of new technologies and publicly scrutinized; and through electoral colleges convened by the CNE, an organization that was given a period of 30 days from the effective date of the regulations to approve the regulations.

The document prepared by the Electoral Council also establishes who cannot apply to be IESS counselors. These are:

a) Officials or employees of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute;

b) Those who are involved in the special prohibitions for the performance of a public position or function, in accordance with the provisions of article 10 of the Organic Law of Public Service;

c) Those who at the time of presenting the candidacy have pending debts with the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security due to employer or personal obligations;

d) Persons who have their own interest or represent third parties in the ownership, direction or management of the companies awarded pension savings administrators, insurance companies or other persons that make up the national social security system;

e) Those who have an impediment to exercise public office;

f) Those who, when registering their candidacy, have contracts with the State, as natural persons or as representatives or attorneys of legal entities;

g) Those who at the time of presenting the candidacy owe alimony;

h) The judges of the Contentious Electoral Tribunal and the members of the National Electoral Council, unless they have resigned from their duties six months before the date set for the election;

i) Those who have assets or capital of any nature in tax havens;

j) Those who have judicial interdiction while it subsists, except in case of insolvency or bankruptcy that has not been declared fraudulent;

k) Those who are affiliated with political parties, permanent adherents, directors of political organizations, unless they have resigned 90 days prior to the date of registration of their candidacy; Y,

l) Those who are titular popularly elected authorities at the time of the presentation of the candidacy.

The CNE will form a Verification Commission that will be in charge of examining whether the applicants meet the requirements and are not immersed in any disability. His report will then go to the analysis of the plenary session of the electoral body.

The regulation also specifies that applications can come from social organizations with a national presence, which must prove existence and legal life of at least ten years and proven activity during the last five years; and if the applicants do not belong to any union or organization with legal status, they must have at least the support signatures of 5% of the total sector they represent.

The Reform Law indicates that within a maximum period of 60 days from the publication of the regulations for the elections of the main and alternate members, the CNE must call the respective elections, that is, they would be held in February of next year. (YO)